Tuesday, July 6, 2010

God Fills Us

"But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate." -- Esther 5:13

Poor Haman. He was second only to the king in power and prestige but that wasn't enough. Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman and it infuriated him. Haman just knew life would be good if only he could get rid of Mordecai.

Of course, it wouldn't have been enough. Haman wanted to be king. Next he would almost certainly be trying to get rid of the king. Then it would have been something else. See, Haman was trying to fill that hole inside of himself with power and prestige. He thought each step would bring him happiness and contentment. It didn't. It couldn't.

We do the same thing in our own lives. We think that a new car will make us happy. We believe that a fabulous vacation will get us to relax and love life again. We just know that a fatter paycheck would solve all our problems. When it doesn't, we long for something else.

We are human. God created us with a hole inside that only He can fill. Nothing else works. We can try any and everything else. We can attempt to tell ourselves that we just haven't bought the right thing, found the right person or got enough success. But we will fail again and again until we come to realize the futility of our mission.

It is then that, if we're smart, we seek God. We read His Word. We pray. We listen for His voice. And, slowly, that hole inside of us becomes full. We stop focusing on ourselves and look outward at a world that needs God's healing touch. Compassion overflows from us. God within us. We are filled with His love.

Friday, July 2, 2010

All Good Things Come From God

"For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty." -- Esther 1:4

King Xerxes was a very arrogant man. He was proud of all his possessions and his wealth. He wanted to show it off and he did. I mean, he was the king. When you got invited to his party, you went. It was probably quite an honor.

Not that he was a bad host. You might have to suffer through all his bragging, but he did open up the wine cellar so that each man got to drink what he wanted. We learn later that he and his guests drank wine for seven days. You can imagine that they were feeling kind of happy and sure of themselves. There's just nothing quite like a room filled with male ego and alcohol. Oh, and did I mention, no women.

Well, King Xerxes decided to change that. See there was one thing he hadn't yet shown his guests. That was his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti. He sent the eunuchs to fetch her. Except she wouldn't come. Xerxes might have been king but he wasn't real smart. He didn't send for his wife because he loved her and missed her. He didn't want to introduce her because she was his helpmate. Nope. He wanted to hold her up as another object he owned. He wanted all the other men to lust after his wife and envy Xerxes.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Ever known someone who wants to brag all the time? Got somebody in your life who has to compete over everything, whether it's a new handbag or a prime parking spot Yeah. We all do. Some days it's rather sad. Other days it's just irritating.

King Xerxes needed to prove he was wealthy enough and powerful enough to invade Greece -- and gain more wealth and power. Isn't that what bragging is all about? The person bragging just wants to build himself up, either because he has low self-esteem or because he thinks he's better than the rest of us.

Either way, the bragger is taking credit for everything in his possession. Bad mistake. Because it's when we start taking credit -- instead of giving credit to God -- that we are headed for a fall. Everything we have comes from God. Those folks bragging can't seem to see past themselves to understand that.

King Xerxes had no idea what his conflict with Queen Vashti would bring about. But God, is His wisdom, used it to save the Jewish people. It's tempting to resent people who brag all the time. We may want what they have. We certainly don't want to hear about their possessions or successes or their brilliance. We really just want to put them in their place. Don't.

God uses all things for His Glory. Just like He used Xerxes' ego to bring good to the Jewish people, He will use the arrogance of other's to bring good. Just because we don't see it, doesn't mean He doesn't have a plan. God always has a plan. Instead, pray and wait patiently for Him. And the next time you want to brag about something, remember where your possessions and your success comes from. Give credit and praise to God. All good things come from Him.